


Irremediable

by Somnios



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Discovery, Gen, Hurt, Mute!Jason, the Batarang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-09-02 23:15:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16796629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Somnios/pseuds/Somnios
Summary: Bruce Wayne discovers that his son is mute.





	Irremediable

“Hood, Helmet off.” Bruce goes to the batcomputer and in the reflection of the screen he can see that the red helmet Hood wears still firmly in place, and its wearer was making no move to remove it, “Now”.

Jason reaches up and removes the helmet and places it on the table beside him. The boy then moves in front of the case, _A Good Soldier_ , his expression is unreadable as he looks at the mask he once wore.

“Jason, Black Mask has already been taken care of,” The boy’s shoulder tense.

Bruce turns back to the computer in front of him, logging in the data from the night’s patrol. There had been a gang war breaking out between Black Mask and The Falcones. Red Hood had been sent out by Oracle for damage control. Jason normally remained in his self-imposed boundaries in the slums of Gotham with a focus on Crime Ally. It had been the first time Jason had assisted on a case that Batman had worked on since their last encounter with the Joker were Jason had forced him to make an impossible choice. Bruce had brought the boy back to the Batcave for a debriefing on the results of the night’s patrol. Red Hood had rushed headfirst into danger, and if he had been any less skilled, or the criminals had been any more lucky injuries would have occurred. Reports of the Red Hood’s state that the Hood had become almost silent during encounters. This most likely points to a desire to unnerve his opponents. Bruce glances back at the silhouette in front of the memorial to his son.

The silence in the cave is defining.

“You rushed into danger,” Bruce started, looking at the reflection of Jason in the computer, “You put yourself and others at risk.” Jason tensed further. Bruce braced himself for a cutting remark from the other man. Jason hardly moved.

“This is unacceptable, one day you are going to get someone killed,” Jason began to move towards his discarded helmet. Bruce walked over towards Jason and pulled the tray, and thus the helmet away.

Jason spun towards Bruce, a snarl on his lips and eyes flashing with an unnatural green light. A remnant of the Lazarus Pit.

“I am taking you off patrol, until your temperament is under control you will remain on the ground,” Jason looks like he would begin to snarl any second, he reaches for his helmet. Wrenching it off the table, he turns to raise his middle finger at Bruce.

Something is wrong, very wrong. By this point in their encounter, Bruce believed that Jason would have brought up his death, would have at least complained at being taken off parole in Gotham.

Jason had not said a single word.

“Leave the helmet here, you’ll get it back when you can prove to me that you can be trusted to take care of Gotham.” This at the very least should get Jason Todd to speak. He should bring up that the Red Hood is not under Batman’s control. He should be spitting insults. Something is wrong, very wrong. Shoulders hunched with one fist clenched, Jason stalks towards the entrance of the cave. He puts on his helmet, gets onto his motorcycle and drives out faster than the recommended speed when leaving the cave.

In his wake, the silence is defining.

Bruce turns towards the monitor and brings up a video he had been avoiding for months.

Jason’s voice echoes from the speakers, _“If you won’t kill this psychotic piece of filth then I will! If you want to stop me, you’re going to have to kill me.” Jason has a gun in his hand at joker’s temple._

_Batman has a gun in his hands, “You know I won’t-”_

_“I’m going to blow his deranged brains out and if you want to stop it you’re going to have to shoot me, right in my face.”_

_“This is turning out so much better than I shout-.”_

_“Stop this...”_

_“It’s him or me. You have to decide.”_

_“Please, don’t...”_

_“I’ll count to three”_

_“Put the gun down.”_

_“One.”_

_“Don’t”_

_“Two.”_

_“NO!”_

_“Thr--”_

_Batman flings a Batarang and it slices into his son’s neck._

He pauses the recording and looks at where the Batarang entered Jason’s neck.

There is a reason why Jason could not speak.

His son is mute.

It’s all Bruce’s fault.

He will never hear another quip, another witty remark, another laugh. His son will never be able to order from the coffee shop, will never be able to talk on the comms. He will never be able to speak on his own ever again. The muscles controlling his larynx will never be fixed. He will never speak again.

This was all Bruce’s fault. He muted his son. He took away an integral part of his son’s life.

He briefly notes that his son was talking during the encounter with the gangs, however minimally. He must have some type of electrolarynx embedded into his helmet.

Bruce had insisted that the Red Hood remove his signature helmet while at the cave. He had removed his son’s voice.

He had failed his son.

Bruce Wayne wept.


End file.
